Evils Old and New

Alec quickly pulled out his cell phone and speed-dialed Max. His jaw twitched and I fidgeted impatiently as we both waited for her to answer and watched with increasing foreboding as the black car stopped and the occupants got out. We were trained not to betray our anxiety, but training had kind of gone out the window at the moment. This was absolutely…

"Max." Alec interrupted my thoughts, "This is all FUBAR."

"What are you talking about? I just waved Jack and Shortie through and three more are walking up right now." Max's voice reached my alert ears.

"Check out the street!" Alec snapped, "We've got White and…Lydecker!"

Max was silent on the other end of the phone.

"Max? Max!" Alec yelled.

"Hold your position." Max finally replied, "I'm sending Logan back to get the others and rush them through in the car. All hell might break loose, so try to keep this locked tight. I'll see if I can get OC and Sketchy to keep everyone else off the street."

"Okay. Work fast 'cause I've got a feeling that Deck is going to make our people."

I glanced down at Lydecker again. For some reason, it was kind of difficult to tear my eyes away. I hadn't seen him since my near recapture. Seeing him again now was not a good omen. And yet, I couldn't help but notice that he looked like hell. He was skinnier than I remembered and his eyes seemed sort of sunken in. His hands were tied in front of him, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He simply glared at White, listening as White yelled something at him. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could sort of read his lips.

"I know they're here, Lydecker. Either you can ID them for me…my men will start shooting everyone on this street. It's…choice." White was saying.

I looked to Lydecker for his response. He was silent for a long moment before he answered, his speech as slow and calculated as ever, "You torture me and now you want my help. Strange tactics. What makes you think I even care about the rest of these people?"

"Because," White immediately responded, a look of disdain on his face, "You're military. It's your job to protect these people."

The colonel remained silent. A second black car pulled up behind White's and a man jumped out of the driver's seat and ran over, "Your men are here, sir."

"Good." White said, a sickening smile that made my gut twist and made me want to punch him contorting his features. He turned back to Lydecker, "My men are about to deploy. What do you say, colonel?"

My eyes narrowed and my hands tightened on my gun. A handgun wasn't optimal for sniper work, but I had a shot. Still, I hesitated.

"Alec, I have a shot." I said quietly.

Alec didn't immediately reply, so I glanced over at him. It wasn't like him to hesitate.

"Alec." I insisted.

Alec started as if my voice surprised him, "No. Not yet."

He stirred, getting up from his position next to me. I began to follow suit, but he shook his head and motioned for me to stay put.

"No, stay here. I'm going down to the street. Stay up here and cover me." he said.

"Alec…" I began to protest, knowing he only wanted me up here to keep me out of trouble.

"Jess, not now." he cut me off, his eyes blazing. An argument sprang to my lips despite the look in his eyes, but before I could speak he added, "Please."

I paused, my own eyes blazing at how he continued to play my emotions against me. How dare he do this to me? And yet, how could I not listen to him?

"You asshole." I swore, but continued before he could reply, "Get down there before I shoot you."

Alec grinned at that and quickly headed back over to the fire escape. I turned my attention back to the street while he climbed down. I noticed an increasing number of bodies on the street and some of them were obviously either military or familiars. And they were obviously armed. White's men didn't appear to be too concerned about giving away their presence. Lydecker was looking around at everyone walking past and another small group of transgenics was approaching his location. I could almost see the disaster unfolding in slow motion. The transgenics could see the threat posed by White's men and were moving faster towards the checkpoint. Unfortunately, Lydecker and White stood between it and them. Lydecker caught sight of the group and stared at them, not speaking. White saw where his gaze had lingered and drew a gun. I raised my own weapon to try and take him down before he could fire. Most of his body was protected by his open car door, but his head and shoulders stood above the door. If I could just squeeze off one bullet and put it straight through his brain…

My hand tightened on the trigger, but I could see White tensing at that same moment, preparing to eliminate one of the transgenics who had unexpectedly walked into a trap. They hadn't even noticed him yet, too busy watching the familiars closing on them from behind. I fired, but at that same instant White jerked backwards. I heard Alec yelling and knew that he had shot White before I'd had the chance. The bullet from my gun sank into his car, not only not hitting the target, but tipping off the watching familiars to my position. I could see them glaring up at my rooftop and quickly ducked down, barely peeking over the edge to keep an eye on the street that had just erupted into chaos.

Alec had run to the group of transgenics that had nearly been taken out by White and pulled them towards his parked car. It was the closest cover. Lydecker was saying something to them, but he had also ducked behind the car and I couldn't understand what it was. White was also stirring in the seat, apparently not killed by the wound he had received. The familiars had drawn their weapons and were cordoning off the street. Innocent bystanders were screaming and fleeing. I felt useless up here. I was no help to anyone up here. I needed to get down there. So, my promise to Alec be damned, I ran to the fire escape and hurried down as fast as I could without slipping on the rain slick bars.

Almost as soon as my feet his the ground was I engaged in combat with one of White's men. It took only a second of fighting to realize that it was a familiar. I didn't have time to waste trying to disable the cultist, so I quickly drew my gun again as soon as I was able and fired a shot that sent a bullet throw the tall man's forehead. As he crumpled, I was already running to join Alec and the other transgenics by White's car.

"Jess, what the hell?" Alec yelled at me as I fell into a crouch next to him.

"Sorry, couldn't let you have all the fun." I joked, keeping myself from looking at him and instead focusing on the danger closing in on us from all sides. I was also looking for any sign of Logan's car. He was taking too long. Something must have gone sideways on his end, too, "So, what's the plan?"

"Plan…plan…well…" Alec hedged.

"This is not a fight you're going to win, soldiers."

I stiffened at the sound of Lydecker's voice. It was almost as if I was still in Manticore and this was just another exercise under the colonel's supervision. I glanced quickly at the other transgenics. We had all gone quiet, almost as if awaiting orders. Old habits die hard.

"494, you should get these people out of here while you can. There's no hope for the others now." Lydecker instructed.

I couldn't stop myself from looking at Alec. He'd only been on the outside a little over a year. I wondered if that was enough time to make him less of a soldier when it came to Lydecker.

Alec eye's hardened and his face remained emotionless as he replied, "Sorry, but that's not an option. We're not leaving anyone behind."

Movement nearby attracted my attention and I barely had time to yell at Alec before I instinctively sprang into action. White was starting to get back to his feet. I darted around the still open car door and grabbed White, yanking him down in front of me and pressing my gun tight against his head. I locked gazes with a number of different familiars. They slowed their approach, watching White and I carefully. I dragged White backwards towards Alec and the others. Pain receptors or no, he was still pretty badly wounded. Alec's bullet had ripped through his torso and I was frankly pretty amazed that he was still even conscious.

"What's more important, White: killing us or saving your own sorry ass?" I growled at him.

"Jess…" Alec began when he saw what I'd done.

I ignored him and slowly stood up, dragging White to his feet with me and continuing to use him as a human shield. Every familiar with shooting distance raised their weapons and took aim. I had a feeling that I knew what was more important to White despite the fact that he wasn't answering me.

"Tell them to lower their weapons." I commanded.

"Jess!" Alec hissed, more urgently this time.

"494, you're losing control here." Lydecker commented, almost detachedly, "If you don't get a handle on this, you're going to have a bloodbath on your hands."

I marveled at how Lydecker could provide a commentary to this situation like it didn't affect him. Maybe whatever the familiars had done to him had pushed him off the deep end. But there was no time to think about that. White still hadn't obeyed my command and ordered his men to stand down.

"Damn it, White! Give the order!" I snapped, shaking him viciously without letting the gun leave his temple for even a second.

"Do what she says." White ground out through his teeth, fury evident in his voice.

I watched nervously as the familiars slowly lowered their weapons. All of them except the one at point, the one closest to me.

"I have other orders." he said, "Sorry, White, but the Conclave said not to let you fail them again."

With that he fired. White's blood splattered my face and he slumped in my grip. I couldn't believe this was happening. My plan had blown up in my face and I knew it would only be another second before the familiar fired again and killed me as well before I could even think about raising my arm to fire my own gun. I knew and yet I couldn't seem to move. I'm sure I embodied a deer caught in the headlights. I couldn't even seem to blink my eyes. I could only stare with the utmost intensity at the muscles in the familiars hand as he tightened his finger on the trigger.

"Jess!"

Before a bullet could sear through my flesh, something hard impacted me from the side and knocked me off my feet. I cried out in surprise, twisting as I fell so that I could face whatever had hit me. At the same time, I saw that Logan had finally arrived with the car. But that hardly mattered to me as I saw a dark stain grow on Alec's shirt.